The present invention relates to a novel and improved control mechanism and more particularly to a control mechanism for marine engine which can control both the clutch and throttle by a single lever.
Control mechanisms of the type employing a single lever must fully comply with the following essential requirements:
(1) It is to be possible to shift the clutch of an engine with the rotation of the lever and the throttle is to be operable only after the completion of the clutch shift.
(2) The throttle is to be held out of operation until the engine clutch is completely shifted and the clutch is to be held out of operation during the operation of the throttle.
(3) In warming up the engine, the throttle alone is to be operable, remaining the clutch disengaged with the lever at the neutral position and locked thereat.
Control mechanisms of the type need to fulfill the following additional requirements:
(4) Easy operation even by the unskilled persons who enjoy a motorboat for the purpose of leisure time amusement.
(5) Long durability without troubles regardless of a rough handling by unskilled persons.
(6) Compactness in size and smaller number of components.
Although many kinds of control mechanisms are known in the field hitherto, they have at least one of the following drawbacks and none of the control mechanisms can fully fulfill above requirements.
a. Since the throttle is advanced excessively even before the completion of the clutch shift, it is difficult to drive the boat slowly and constantly.
b. The clutch and/or the throttle are not locked perfectly, or an additional procedure is required to lock them.
d. The operation to warm up the engine is inconvenient, since an additional lever must be activated therefor.
e. Poor durability.
f. It is too large in size to apply it to a boat of small size.